1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an article picking up mechanism adapted for use for example in an assembling apparatus. More specifically, the present invention pertains to an article picking up mechanism which may be applied to an automated assembling apparatus in which articles to be assembled are picked up by a manipulator and placed on works on which the articles are to be assembled.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In assembling lines in a manufacturing plant, such as an automobile manufacturing plant, the assembling processes for assembling articles or parts are automated by using assembling robots. For making the automated assembling processes work well, it is important to set up a procedure for supplying the articles or parts to the robots. The Japanese patent application No. 54-115656 filed on Sept. 11, 1979 and disclosed on Apr. 15, 1981 under the disclosure No. 56-39840 discloses a part supply system which can be used for such assembling line. The system disclosed by the Japanese patent application includes a vibrating part feeder which functions to supply the parts to be assembled one by one to a locating section where the part is picked up by a robot.
The part supply system as disclosed by the Japanese patent application is however disadvantageous in that the mechanism for the system is complicated and requires a space. In view of the problem, it may very often be advisable to supply the parts in a container and have the parts picked up by a robot directly from the container. It should however be noted that when a parts is picked up by a manipulator such as a robot hand from a group of parts which are located in regular positions in the container the part which is being picked up may hit the other parts which are adjacent to the part being picked up so that such adjacent parts may fall down in the container possibly disturbing succeeding picking up operation.